Traction-meter.



TRACTION METER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 4. 1912.

Patented July 27, 1915.

emanan UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

JOHN' G. KJELLGREN, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TRAcTIoN-METER,

vSpecification o Letters Patent.

Application led March 4, 1912. Serial No. 681,595.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, JOHN Gf. KJELLGREN, a subject of the King ot Sweden, and residing in the boro-ugh of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and4 State of-New York,

`have invented a certain new and Improved Traction-Meter, of which the following lis a specification.

' object ot my invention being to vide also a signal which may be used to warn the operator on the use of excessive current.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic scheme of one form of my invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section ot an enlarged detail of a Contact making device to operate the meter; Fig. 3 is an elevation of the meter partially broken away; and Fig. 4 isa section on the line 4 4, Fig. 3. l

rlhe operation of an electric vehicle such as an electric truck, car or train, may be conveniently divided into three periods between stop and'stop, viz., (1) application of the motor power to bring and keep the car under way, (2) the shutting od ot the motor power to permit the car to run under its own momentum, applying brakes to bring the car to a halt. From the standpoint of economy in current consumption, it is a great advantage to have the first period as brief as lpossible as compared with the other two. Furthermore it is a great advantage rom the standpoint of economy of operation that the current consumed in the irst period shall not be excessive.

ln order to indicate the travel during current consumption in proportion to the travel total, and further to indicate the use of excessive currentin starting or keeping under way, l have invented the present meter by the study of the indications of which, the" operation of the car under given conditions may be observed and regulated to make the current consumption substantially uniform in all cases and abuses in the control ot cars corrected..

lm the form shown, the present invention comprises three independent indicators X, Y, and Z each electrically operated and for the purpose of illustration, shown as counting heads of any suitable type. The indicator X is arranged to show the total travel,

-whether under power or not; the indicator Y to show the travelA under power; and the indicator Z to show the use of excessive power. To operate each indicator, a ratchet mechanism is here shown, comprising a ratchet wheel 10 operatively connected to the unit wheel of the indicator, and a pawl 11 carried by the armature 12 of a solenoid. Three solenoid units 13, 14 and 15 are shown one for each indicator.

The unit 18 for the indicator X, is ar' ranged in a circuit 16, independent of the '75 switch 17. A contact plunger 18 for theV motor circuit 'and normally open at the switch 1T is held out of engagement with the switch contacts by the spring 19, but is adapted to be pressed temporarily into circuitclosing position by a cam Q0 on any rotating or reciprocating part ot the car when in motion, for example, the axle 21v of Y one of the car wheels. Obviously each rotation ot the axle 21 closes the circuit 1G,` which energizes the solenoid unit 13, and 'thereby actuates the pawl 11, carried by the armature so that' the unit wheel is rotated one unit for each revolution of the axle, irrespective of direction of rotation. light return 'spring lifts the pawl into'the next tooth of the ratchet wheel 10, after each depression, so that it is in position to again rotate the ratchet one step upon the succeedy ing energization of the solenoid by the closing of the circuit 1G.

The solenoid unit 1l for the indicator Y, is arranged in a shunt circuit in parallel with the unit 13. rThis shunt circuit 23"however has arranged therein a relay Q4, operated trom the motor circuit Q5 and closed only when the motor power is in use. Consequently the indicator Y, which in its method of operation is similar to that of the indicator X, is operated only n hen the motor power is in use. At such time the in* dicators X and Y are simultaneously actuated, through their armature pawls 11.

The third indicator Z has its solenoid unit 15 arranged in the shunt Q6, from the motor circuit 25, which controls the relay 24. rllhe armature of this solenoid is supportedby a spring 2T suiiiciently heavy to prevent the Patented Jiny 27,1915..

under the influence of excessive current.

vadjusting screw 33 may be used to regulate the tension of this spring, in accordance With the predetermined normal use of current. Consequently even When' the motor current is in use, the indicator ZL is not actuated unless excessive current is employed which alone is'suiiicient to draw down the armature fully against the actionv of the spring 27. Inasmuch as excessive current is ordinarily used only during a faultystart/of the car after a stop, it isl suiicient for most purposes to permit the current to pass constantly through the solenoid 1'5 after the. motor power has been applied. In thisjcase the indica-tor'Z Will be advanced but a single unit during each application of the motor circuit, in Which excess current is employed. The duration of the use of excess current may be readily indicated however, by arranging an interrupter 28 in the main shunt circuit 26. 1 This interrupter may be operated either mechanically vfrom the axle 21 or electrically from thecircuit lfpreferably from the latter, as shown. In this case the shunt 26 is opened once on each revolution of the axle 2l and consequently the indicator Z is actuated once for each revolution of the axle so long as the excess current is employed.

.When it is desirable to have all the indicators mounted in a single housing, they may be arranged as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

For convenience of inspection the indicators are arranged adJacentv one face Q9 of the housing 30, and sight apertures 3l are provided in the latter through which the totals on the/indicators are visible. The housing .may be supplied With' supporting brackets lof the solenoid 15 for the indicator Z. When excessive current is employed, this armature is drawn down so far that the strap 36 connects the contacts 34 thus closing the signal circuit.` The particular ,signal arranged in this circuit may be of any preferred'character. For the purposelof illustration I have shown a signal lamp 37 which may be placed at a Y point distantfrom the meter and in a conspicuous place with relation to the operator. Obviously the indicators need not be arranged in a single housing, While the particular operating mechanism and method of Wiring are to be regarded as merely illus- Furthermore the trative of the invention. utility of the meter is not limited to trucks, cars and trains, although particularly valuable therefor, and in the accompanying claims I use the term traction in a sense broad enough to cover an electrically driven dependent of the motor; circuit for energizing said actuating means, and means in4 connection with a moving part of the tractor for closing said circuit when `the tractor is in motion, in combination With an independent indicator in parallel in said circuit and 'means in connection with the motor circurt for closing the circuit for said second indicator only When the motor circuit is in the motorl circuit and means for operating the' saine only during the consumption' of -exf cessive current. i

use, together With a third indicator in 2. An 'electric traction meter device comprising an indicator, electrically actuated means for operating the same, a circuit independent of the motor circuit for energizing said actuating means, and. means in connection with a moving part of the tractor for closing said circuit when the tractor is in motion, in combination with an independent indicator in parallel in said circuit and means in connection with the motor circuit for closing the circuit for said second indicator only when the motor circuit is in use, together with a third indicator in the 'motor-circuit and means for intermittently operating the same only during .the consumption of excessive current.

3. An electric traction meter device comprising an indicator, electrically actuated means for operating the same, a circuit independent of tliemotor circuit for energizing said actuating means,.and means in connection withv a moving part of the tractor for closing said circuit When the tractor is in motion, in combination, with an independent indicator in parallel in said circuit and means inv connection with the motor circuit for closing the circuit for said 'second i indicator only when the motor circuit is in.- use, together with a third indicator-in the Amotoi'ciicuit, a relay in the motor circuit and meansin connection with the independent circuit for operating said relay to close the actuating circuit.

4. In a meter for electric tractors, a

ratchet operated indicator, electro-magnetic means for actuating the ratchet, an auxiliary circuit vfor operating said electro-magnetic means, and intermittentlyactuated means controlled by a continuously-moving element of the tractor when the latter is in motion, for rendering said auxiliary circuit operative, in combination with a second ratchet-operated indicator, and means for controlling the operation thereof from said auxiliary circuit and the tractor circuit, said means comprising an electro magnet for" actuating the ratchet .and an interpreter in the electro-magnet circuit, said .interrupter and electro-,magnet being arranged one in the auxiliary circuit and onein the tractor. circuit. d

,5. In a meter for electric tractors, aratchet operated indicator, electro-magnetic means for'. actuating the ratchet,l an auxiliary circuit for operating said electro-magnetic means, and intermittently-actuated means controlled by avcontinuously-moving element of the tractor when the latter is 'in mo' tion, for `rendering said auxiliary circuit operative, in combination With a second ratchet-operated indicator, and means for Y lcontrolling the operation thereof from said auxiliary circuit and the tractor circuit, said means'` comprising` an electro-.magnet for.

actuating the ratchet and an interrupter in the electro-magnet circuit, said interrupter and electro-magnet being arranged onein the auxiliary circuit and one in the tractorcircuit, together with a third indicator,

means similar to those for operating Athe second indicator for operating said third indicator, and means controlling the element in the tractor circuit to insure itsoperation onlyon the use of excessive current.

6. In a meter for electric tractors, a ratchet-operated indicator, electro-magnetic 'l means for actuating the ratchet, an auxiliary y circuit for operating said electro-mag netic means, Vand intermittently-actuated means controlled by a .continuously-moving element of the tractor when the latter is in motion, for rendering said auxiliary circuit operative, in combination with a second ratchetoperated indicator, and' means for controlling the operation. thereof from said auxiliary circuit and the tractor circuit, said means comprising. an electro-magnet for actuating the ratchet and an interrupter in the electro-magnet circuit, said interrupter and electro-magnet being arranged one in the auxiliary circuit and one i the tractor' circuit, together with ,means for controlling the element in the 'tractor circuit to insure its Aoperation only on the use of excessive means controlled jointly by'said auxiliary circuit andthe tractor circuit for operating anotherfofsaid'indicators to record the total travelunder poWer,and a third indicator to record the-total travel under excessive power. d

`'In testimony whereof` I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence ofy twoy subscribing Witnesses.

JOHN G. KJELLGREN. Witnesses:

`VVAL'rER ABBE L.'H. GROTE. 

